‘Oh, you’re right,’ she says. ‘It does get better.’
We’re side by side now, both floating and facing back towards the island. It stretches out in front of us, the mountain rising like the fin of a sea creature in the middle. There’s light glowing behind it, hinting that this might just be a passing gust and nicer weather is on its way. I can see the whole farm from here, our house and the fields stretching around it, dotted with sheep and cows. My throat grows suddenly tight.
‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ says Lorna quietly. I turn to her in surprise.
‘I think I never really thought it before,’ she continues. ‘I guess I was so caught up in my memories of the place that I couldn’t see it properly. But itisbeautiful. It’s magnificent.’
I turn away for a second, trying to hold back my tears. Jean’s announcement had distracted me from the other pressing worry faced by the island – the fate of the school – but it comes back to me now in a fresh wave of anxiety. We’ve still had no applications for the job. We’re running out of time.
‘It is,’ I say in reply, following Lorna’s gaze back to the island that I call home.
We swim for a little longer, side by side and parallel to the shore. Eventually we head for the land and stumble out of the water. I reach for my bag, pulling out a large striped beach towel and handing it to Lorna.
‘Here, you go first.’
But she shakes her head.
‘No, I’ve gatecrashed your swim, you use it.’
‘It wasn’t gatecrashing,’ I reply. ‘It’s nice to have you here.’
She smiles at me.
‘It’s good to be here.’
I try to hand her the towel again but she refuses so I quickly dry myself down then pass it to her as I pull on my clothes, my jeans sticking to my still slightly damp, sandy legs. My hair is knotted and tangled and drips down my back but I don’t care. When we’re both dressed I lay the towel out on the ground and we sit beside one another. I reach into the tote bag for the Thermos I filled with tea before leaving. We pass it back and forth between us, curls of steam drifting into the air from the cup. The warm liquid brings sensation back to my lips and gradually the warmth spreads through my whole body.
‘How are you feeling about today?’ I ask her.
She sighs, hugging her knees up to her chest.
‘I just want it to be over really.’
I nod, feeling the same way.
‘I hope you don’t mind, but Jack told me what you told him when we were at the house. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for everything you went through. It’s just awful.’
‘Thank you,’ she says quietly.
‘You’ve been through so much. And you’ve faced so much of it on your own. I honestly don’t know how you managed it.’
She passes me the Thermos.
‘Here, you finish it.’ She glances out to sea then back at me. ‘And I’m not alone anymore,’ she adds.
We smile at one another and then stand up, shaking the sand out of the towel and heading back towards the house. As we walk she tells me about the afternoon with Mallachy and I do my best to hide my excitement and appear as relaxed as possible.
‘Do you think you’ll see each other again while you’re here?’ I ask her.
‘I hope so,’ she replies quietly.
When we reach the house we both pause. Our clothes smell faintly of seaweed and salt water and our cheeks are flushed from the cold. Her hair is just as tangled and sodden as mine. Part of me wants to run back to the beach rather than facing what is to come today. But at least I don’t have to face this day alone. I will have my family by my side. And now, that family includes Lorna too. We nod at one another in understanding and step inside.
Chapter 35
Lorna
The churchyard is quiet except for the sound of a crow crying from the church roof. Dark yew trees guard the path through the graves, their trunks gnarled like elephant skin. The church tower rises into the now blue sky and beyond it stands the mountain, dark and impassive. Despite having showered I can still smell the faint trace of salt water on my skin and it calms me slightly, reminding me of this morning.
